2 Kasım 2007 Cuma

şems

seherin ortasında biten
sen ey yaldızdan diken

sıkıyorsa
bu yalnızlığa sen diren

tembel-teneke

demek gayret gerek
hayatta kalmak için

varlığımı fısıldayan yağmura
ispiyonlasaydım tezinizi

kıçıyla yağardı yüzünüze

macera-perest

sonunu bilseydim okumazdım kitabı

yemin ederim ki
izlemezdim hamleti
bilseydim öleceğini

öyleyse yazmazdım şiir
söyleyecek bir şeyim olsaydı.

inadına 'olmak'

kuleler savrulurlar rüzgarda
dizlerinin üzerine çöker bir papatya

kükrer rüzgarlı kuleler
bir ağızdan

boynunu kırar bir papatya

kuleler yıkılıverir bir çayıra

kahkahayla uzaklaşan rüzgara

orta parmağını gösterir
başını çıkaran ısırgan otu

üretken çelişkiler

kendi yokluğuna ağlamakta olan
şu malum sihirbaz

yavrusunu öldüren ananın sükunetiyle
kovdu
sonunda gelen goddot'u

sundu nefretini, en sevgilisine

durmaya üşendiği için koştu
nefesi kesilip, dizleri teslim olana dek

koştukça parlayan ışığında
gözyaşlarını sakladı

kimse bulamadı
ölümünü

hiç erişemedi
kendine

20 Ekim 2007 Cumartesi

randevu

herhangi bir kaldırımda
zamansız ve isimsiz bekliyorum
sakın çıplak gelme
insan etini seviyorum.

korku-fobia

yükseliyor gecenin katranı ufukta
beyaz aydan koparmak için bir diş
zıplaşıyor balıklar içinde

karanlık dokunduğunda eteklerine
sakın ismimi söyleme...!

müstakbel

ensemdesin
tavaf ediyorum kendimi

dokunamıyorum

sen!
uzun yürüyüşlerin yoldaşı,
hacıdır yüzünü gören!

kara kedi

kara kedi küsme
küsüp ağaca çıkma

alamam seni...

kara kedi küsme
küsüp buhar-laşma

bulamam seni...

kara kedi küsme
küsüp beyaz olma

sevemem seni...

5 Ekim 2007 Cuma

ey kadın!

parmaklarının ucundan kayabilirsem
kelimelerimle...

yıkayabilirsem kurşun rengi harfleri
dilinin ucuna ekleyip
birkaç bin devirde...

öptürebilirsem bir mısramı sana
koynuna alıp uyursan eğer...

kendimi şiir yazmış sayacağım.

10 Eylül 2007 Pazartesi

incir

evet
küstahım

kışın verdiğin o tek inciri
ben çaldım

lezzetliydi
suluydu
mevsimsizdi

kim olsa
sahip olmak isterdi

evet
arsızım
kış vakti verdiğin biricik inciri
ben çaldım

açtı kavruk nefsim şımartılmaya
ve doyulmazdı lezzeti

belki
bir kraliçenin kalbini fethedecekti
ya da kuruyup kalacaktı dalında

keyifli ve uzun bir öykünün başlangıcı olacaktı, sevdalı

ya da

bas bas bağıracaktı asıldığı daldan:
ne mucizelere gebe bir ağaç olduğunu

evet
yüzsüzüm

gelecek kış
bir incir görsem dalında

nadir
sulu
lezzetli

koparıp yerim yemişini

9 Eylül 2007 Pazar

katarsis

karanlıkta perdelerime tutturulmuş notlarla geldi
kasten açık bırakılmış bodur bir pencereden girdi içime

gülüşleri vardı aydıklık ve şehvetli
baktımı, dilsiz olurdum
ve acemi dünyaya

fakat gün tepeye vardığında
artık seçiliyordu riyanın tüm sıfatları

bütün hayatta kalma çabası
tüm kahır katlandığım

yaklaştırdı bizi o ses getiren ana
çözüldü katarsis

azad ettim onu içimdeki boşlukta

her nasıl olduysa
ayrılık bile mani olmadı
beni aldatmasına

aldırmadım
nasılsa ben kendime sadık kaldıkça...

5 Eylül 2007 Çarşamba

şiir

çaya katık yine beyaz kağıt
kafa karmaşa durağında indi yine


çocuk şiirler yazdım defterime
ama büyümem gerek okunsunlar diye

kaçmalıyım en uzak en emsalsiz dizelere
işte!
kalem saplandı kağıda

kan
gövde
götürmek
içimde

tatlı sevgilim
ağlama
böyle dediğime aldanma

kaçmıyorum
allahın izniyle gidiyorum

4 Eylül 2007 Salı

benim kadınım

onun bir kadını var
oysa kadınların hepsi benim
seviyorum kadınını
o benim kardeşim

baldan tatlı kibir

ayna ayna söyle bana
kim öğretti konuşmayı sana
anlatıp durduğun başka şey yok
övüp durursun beni bana

tatil

gölge uzanmış ürekekçe
başında bir deniz bekliyor
acemi ve kararsız

şemsiye dikiliyor yorgun
altında bir kumsal inliyor
sırtı tutulmuş
kulunçları aman vermiyor

şezlong terliyor şehvetle
üstünde bir kadın uyukluyor
teslim etmiş kendini güneşe

3 Eylül 2007 Pazartesi

gösterişsiz

adına kurulmuş şehirler sunamam sana
ama bir sıfat ekleyebilirim

ömürlük bir saadet değil ama
yatağın sağ tarafını verebilirim

ağaçlar

hava
ağaçların muamma yaratmakta kullandığı
uçucu birşeydir

salınırlar
himaye sunarlar
kafalarını sallarlar

bizse telaşa vermekteyizdir bahçeleri
yani ayak parmaklarımızı

ağaçlar muamma yaratmayı seçerler
birgün bu muammaları çözdüğümüzde

kuşkuyla silip süpüreceğiz
ve telaşa vereceğiz ayak parmaklarımızı
yani bahçeleri...

2 Eylül 2007 Pazar

imansız

romantik masallara imanını yitirdi

çalıştı
yedi
içti
üredi
öldü

boku aktı senelerce kanalizasyonlara

aktı kefene sarılı gövdesi bir gün bir kara çukura

bom!

uçmakta olan bir bombayım ben
kendi çapımda

uçarken, uzaklaşsaydım
ışıl ışıl yaldızlarla
ve düşseydim bir ahıra

umduğum kadar ses getirirmiydi parçalanışı gövdemin

yıldız düşerken

ve bir yıldız kaydı uçurumun gölgesinden

salt bir yanlış anlaşılmaydı
sürüp giden yaşam
çalılıkların arasında

yıldız suya inerken
göğe dokunuyordu bir yavrucağın gözleri

bilinmeyenin kavalı çağırıyordu karanlığa...

geç-miş

bıçakla kazınmış bir ağacın gölgesinde
kanayan yarasını emerek hayatta kalmak

ve her sabah
parmak uçlarını güneşte kızartmaksa
birini sevmiş olmak

hayat artık banttan oynuyor demektir

kast'ın altında kaldırımın üstünde

toz ve ölüm vardı
uzandığı kaldırımda hintlinin
kaldırımdan ayrı görünmüyordu bedeni
yanından geçenler için...

ölüm onu kaldırımda kıstırmıştı
ve temizlemek leşini
kargaların işiydi...

kargalar gelmediler!

gözüm

o hikayedeki ceylan gibi çıkmalıyım o kapıdan.

gözümde bir damla yaşla...

yemekten sonraki sigaranın hafifliğiyle...

doyuma ulaşmanın hazzıyla...

olur ya düz duvara tırmanırsam
ve arkada kalırsa bir gözüm

gözümü benden ırağa gömün!

guguk kuşu eleştiri

Outline

Ken Kesey, in his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest puts male sexuality above female authority, phrases “womanish” values defined as civilizing, accuses matriarchal system as castrating men in the society and draws dominant mother figures as counter part of “evil” Big Nurse.

I- Introduction: Kesey’s Attitude towards Women Dominion

II- Superiority of Male Sexuality over Female Authority

III- “Womanish” Values Defined as Civilizing in the Novel

IV- Matriarchal System That Seeks to Castrate Men in the Society

V- Mother Figures as Counterpart of Big Nurse
A- Mrs. Bibbit
B- Vera Harding
C- Mrs. Bromden

VI- Conclusion







I- Introduction

Ken Kesey’s attitude towards women dominion in the society is very rejecting. He supports the patriarchal side against the argument of feminism. In his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Kesey, puts male sexuality above female authority, phrases “womanish” values defined as civilizing, accuses matriarchal system as castrating men in the society and draws dominant mother figures as counter part of Big Nurse.
The novel takes place in a mental hospital and narrated by a schizophrenic character chief Bromden. The main character of the story is Mc Murphy who has preferred coming into a mental hospital to staying in jail. He has approximately all masculine features. He is physically strong, likes “to fuck and fight”. He is a gambler who likes struggle. Against Mc Murphy, the writer puts a women character (Big Nurse) who doesn’t like to “fuck” and “men”. She is a very strong woman character who holds a harsh authority. She enjoys her power and uses it on men. During the novel these two powerful characters struggle each other. Finally, Big Nurse wins the fight and the story ends with the tragedy of Mc Murphy while chief Bromden who escapes from the hospital shows reader the way to get rid of this matriarchal tyranny.


II- Superiority of Male Sexuality above Women Authority

Kesey’s attitude towards women of the society is similar to Freud’s who says: “The coincidental unsuccessfulness of life which is experienced as a woman results in the complex of being eunuch.” [my translation] (Freud, 156) And he names it “penis envy”. In Kesey’s novel we see the superiority of male sexuality over woman even she holds the authority. The writer creates a character (Mc Murphy) who “fights too much and fucks too much” (Kesey, 18). He phrases the male features determined by the society while showing his demand for a passive position for women. He is clearly against the women authority. We see his approach in Bromden’s commend on Miss Ratched (Big Nurse) “A mistake was made somehow by putting those big, womanly breasts on what would of otherwise be a perfect work, and you can see how bitter she is about it”. Here we see Kesey describes Big Nurse as a penis envy woman who refuses her nature and hold authority which ‘naturally suits men’.
In a therapy session Big Nurse asks if there was anybody to touch the subject about Harding’s wife and her breasts, Mc Murphy says: “Touch upon what”. He means touching Mrs. Hardings breasts. He challenges Big Nurse as he knows she would get furious by such a sexual joke which interrupts her authority among patients in the session. While he is talking about his reason for being sent to the hospital Mc Murphy underlines his masculine features to frustrate Big Nurse saying: “Repeated outbreaks of passion that suggest the possible diagnosis of psychopath’ means I fight and fuh-- pardon me, ladies—means I am he put it overzealous in my sexual relations. Doctor, is that real serious?”(Kesey, 46) Another attempt of Mc Murphy to try the temper of big nurse is when he stands with a towel at the corridor. When Big Nurse warns him not to walk around in a towel he says it’s not his fault and his plan works. He succeeds in seeing anger in her face when he takes his towel off (Kesey, 87).


III- “Womanish” Values Defined as Civilizing in the Novel
The most significant characteristic of female sex role is that it is of lesser status than the male role… Females are supposed to inhibit aggression and inhibit the open display of sexual urges. They are to be passive with men, to be nurturant, to cultivate attractiveness, and to maintain an emotionally responsive, socially poised, friendly posture with others. In contrast, males are to be aggressive in the face of attack, independent in problem situations, sexually aggressive, in control of regressive urges, and suppressive of strong emotions, especially anxiety. (Sherman, 137,138,139)

Considering these social tendencies and Kesey’s attitude we conclude he believes in stereotypical gender roles and he is for the passiveness of women.

Sandy and Candy are two of the women in the novel and they happen to treat the mentally unstable men very nicely. That behavior, however, only enforce the idea that inherently they're not women at all and more rather just a product of the man's ideals. They're both prostitutes who are willing to succumb to man's desire for the right price and for their work they both never much speak out against the men and will do anything for them. In fact they are helpless otherwise in dealing with men, this apparent when at the docks Candy was harassed by other man, without the help of ward patients she essentially becomes nothings and helpless.
(http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1254397)

Kesey phrases prostitutes while harshly criticizing all other women who have at least some power. His despising attitude towards women gives him the ideal women image of prostitute who never interfere men and has no power. Considering the novel in this case makes it very easy to say he was an anti-feminist.

IV- Matriarchal System that Seeks to Castrate Men in the Society
“In our civilization, motherhood is a spiritual, religious, and even an artistic ideal.”[my translation] (Deutsch, 17) Mother takes a great power of shaping the society from this ideal and from her role. Kesey is against the matriarchy in the society. He puts the blame on motherhood for the failed structure of the society. “At one point Harding said that the men on the ward as well as all the men in the world are ‘victims of a matriarchy." (http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1254397) The most significant matriarchal character of the novel is Big Nurse. Mc Murphy claims “she is a ball cutter” (Kesey, 57) which means she hurts male ego and benefits it for a stronger authority. Harding who has been long suffering from her authority at first doesn’t want to accept it and says: “Our dear Miss Ratched? Our sweet, smiling, tender angel of mercy, Mother Ratched, a ball-cutter? Why, friend, that’s most unlikely.” Here Kesey sets the non intimate face of matriarchy for him. She has a very strong effect on every man in the hospital including doctors. She is the real ruling one. Though a doctor has a higher statue than a nurse in the hospital she uses her special talent of authority on every man and by this or that way gets what she wants. She is the one who chooses the doctor: “She keeps this up for years. The doctors lasted three weeks, three months. Until she finally settles for little man with a big wide forehead and white jowly cheeks and squeezed narrow across his tiny eyes like he once wore glasses that were way too small, wore them for so long they crimped his face…That’s her doctor.” As it’s clearly seen in the description she chooses a man of weak personality as a doctor because she loves power. This is what mothers in matriarchal tyranny do to their sons.

V- Mother Figures as Counterpart of Big Nurse
A- Mrs. Bibbit
“Nurse Ratched also uses outside influences to help her control her patients, as is the case with Billy Bibbit, whose mother is friends with the nurse; together they work to manipulate Billy.” (http://sshare4.esd105.wednet.edu/mborton/berwomen_in_one_flew_.htm) The manipulating power of mothers is seen here. Billy can’t become an adult because of his mother’s strong will for his staying a child. His mother interferes to his life so much and the reason for his mental disorder is his mother: “Your mother has spoken to me about this girl Billy. Apparently she was quiet beneath you.”(Kesey, 121) Billy says she loves her but his choice doesn’t mean anything to his mother or the nurse. They all behave selfishly for their own joy. We see the strong power of his mother on Billy when Miss Ratched catches him with a prostitute and threatens him to say his mother, he commits suicide.

B- Vera Harding
“Vera Harding uses her husband's insecurities about his homosexuality as well as her own assets in order to manipulate and belittle him. Vera, a voluptuous and beautiful woman, makes Dale feel inadequate with both her figure and her sneering remarks on his effeminacy, which is symbolized by his graceful, unmanageable hands.” (http://sshare4.esd105.wednet.edu/mborton/berwomen_in_one_flew_.htm) “He's got hands so long and white and dainty I think they carved each other out of soap, and sometimes they get loose and glide around in front of him free as two white birds until he notices them and traps them between his knees; it bothers him that he's got pretty hands.” (Kesey 23) Vera’s words clearly have the aim of insulting her husband: “Dale, when you are going to learn to laugh instead of making that mousy little squeak?” , “Oh Dale, you never do have enough, do you?”.

C- Mrs. Bromden

Chief Bromden’s mother is another dominant character in the novel. Bromden’s father comes from a matriarchal Indian tribe and his mother is a dominant white woman. As her Christian white culture is also dominant she uses her authority for making decisions for her husband. We see her dominance in: “My Papa was a full Chief and his name was Tee Ah Millatoona… He was real big when I was a child. My mother got twice his size… Feet and inches? A guy at the carnival looked her over and said five feet nine and weights a hundred and thirty pounds, but what was because he’d just saw her. She got bigger and bigger all the time.” Here Bromden uses the same metaphor he uses during his narration while describing Mc Murphy and ‘Big’ Nurse. She was big as she dominated and followed her own will. This bigness is about her power as a character.


VI- Conclusion
Kesey puts male sexuality as a natural gift and depicts women who reject their ‘sexual function’ as ‘penis envy’ characters who is real demand is to castrate men in the society. Here we see his strong rejection against feminist (especially radical feminism) ideas. He rejects matriarchal interference of women to man’s society. He shows only prostitutes as non harmful women section in the society, and by doing this he supports traditional values attributed to women such as obedience and sexual features. Kesey blames women for the ills of society by creating the characters of Big Nurse, Mrs. Bibbit, Vera Harding and Mrs. Bromden. They are the women who create disaster for men under their authority. This also suits Freud’s approach of ‘penis envy’ to women. These women take the advantage of being mother against men’s sexual superiority. (Freud, 156) Kesey is clearly unjust to women in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Though it’s true that there are such women characters in the society he fails to mention male examples of destructive dominance. This proves he is not objective as a male and takes his side against women in the argument of sexual roles.

HOŞGELDİN!

Söyleyeceklerim var. Hoşgeldin bir insanın çabalayışına!